A Year in Provence

By: Peter Mayle

Narrated by: Peter Mayle

Peter Mayle and his wife had been to Provence as tourists. They had dreamed of one day trading the long, grey winters and damp summers of England for the blue skies and sunshine of the coast of southern France. And then they made it happen. They moved into an old farmhouse at the foot of the Luberon mountains and embarked on a wonderful, if at times bewildering, new life.

Among their experiences that first year: being inundated with builders and visitors, grappling with the native accent, taking part in goat races and supervising the planting of a new vineyard.

Now, Peter Mayle personally recounts the pleasures and frustrations of Provençal life - sharing in a way no one else can, the unique and endearing culture that is Provence.

©1989 Peter Mayle (P)1991 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

" A Year in Provence is part memoir, part homeowner's manual, part travelogue, and all charming fun." (Amazon.com review)

Earns 5/5 Smiles...Entertaining Redux (Abridged)!

It’s been quite awhile since I watched my favorite production of “A Year in Provence” with John Thaw and Lindsay Duncan or read the trilogy on which it is based, so it’s time for a quick revisit. Like an amuse bouche to whet one’s appetite, this abridged audio version includes delightful portions from both “A Year in Provence” and “Toujours Provence,” and the big perk? It is narrated by Peter himself. Mayle’s year in the picturesque Luberon Valley is filled with language faux pas, cultural misunderstandings, and some missteps in their efforts to fit in, but all through the changing of the seasons, Mayle and his wife make good friends and become infused with the aroma and taste of French culture. Mayle’s narrating was very pleasant, going beyond a traditional read with tone, emotions, and several entertaining accents. I know some prefer the full-length version and maybe “abridged” should be more prominent in the tags, but I enjoyed my revisit and recommend it to others.

Delightful

Terrific narrative of a long visit in France. I throughly enjoyed the authors sense of humor.

My favorite region in the world

I loved the simplicity and complexity of the people of Provence. Well written. Very poignant.

so i can hear peter mayle telling his story

so i can hear peter mayle telling his story. that is great. it is so funny.

Light and happily presented.

Perfect for my road trip. I laughed and found myself enjoying a little bit of France.

A perfectly delightful to listen to, the French!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

You are able to tell the characters by their accents and flow of language...French to English.

If you’ve listened to books by Peter Mayle before, how does this one compare?

My first of his books.

What does Peter Mayle bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I really felt like I was in Provence. I could see all that happened and tell by their voices whether they were excited or hohum. Because i studied French in HS, it was a fresh way to hear the language again.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

My attention span is not that long.

Any additional comments?

Want to visit France? Take a trip to Provence by listening to this book.

A charming story of a family adjusting to Provence

I didn’t know what to expect with this story. The charming tale of a couple, adjusting to the French customs of the Provence region made me delight in glee and laugh. Sent enjoying my own trip to Provence It was delightful to remember some of the idiosyncrasies of the region. I thoroughly enjoyed this couples perspective and ability to relay their experience about the country folk a France. I’m ready for bread, butter, good wine, and a host of characters, just like this story provides me!

Still enjoyable

A charming memoir to revisit! Returning to Provence with Peter Mayle’s narration was enjoyable—it’s filled with great food, wine and colorful local characters.

Enjoyed this book :-)

Good story. Not very exciting but nice read to relax with while settling down for bed at night.

Very Enjoyable

This was a very pleasant book; however I think I missed out on a lot since it was an abridged version.

I love food and travel so I was easily swept up by the story… minus the home renovation parts as humorous as they were. The writing was great, I loved the way the author made me feel like I really was in the country side or enjoying a delicious meal!

I can see how this book would compel people to go to Provence for a visit, I was there in 2010 and now that I’ve read this book I have an urge to go back!